Hoist or off-bearer for use in concrete block molding machines



Jan. 10, 1956 W. G. SCH UTT HOIST 0R OFF-BEARER FOR USE IN CONCRETEBLOCK MOLDING MACHINES Original Filed April 3, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l {IJ I 7 J I 0 ki i Q N INVENTOR. a Wo/zer G. Schuii ATTORNEYS.

TT 2,730,251 FOR USE IN CONCRETE BLOCK MOLDING MACHINES Original FiledApril 3, 1948 Jan. 10, 1956 w. G. SCHU HOIST OR OFF-BEARER 5Sheets-Sheet 2 PRESS URE INVENTOR Schu ff 2,730,251 Patented Jan. 10,1956 fee HOIST OR OFF-BEARER FOR USE IN CONCRETE BLOCK MOLDING MACHINESWalter G. Schutt, Adrian, Micl1., assignor to Stearns ManufacturingCompany, Adrian, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Original applicationApril 3, 1948, Serial No. 18,798. Divided and this application April 2,1951, Serial No. 218,719

2 Claims. (Cl. 214-452) This invention is a division of applicationSerial No. 18,798, filed April 3, 1948, and now Patent No. 2,640,- 579,and relates to a hoist or off-bearer for use in concrete block moldingmachines. In the aforementioned application there is described aconveyor system for taking pallets from a position in front of theconcrete block molding machine and conveying them across the side of themachine to a somewhat elevated position where they are dropped into amagazine to form a stack. Then the pallets are taken one by one off thebottom of the stack and fed into the concrete block machine where themold box comes down on top of the pallet, the concrete aggregatematerial is fed by a feed or strike-off drawer from a magazine anddropped into the cavities of the mold box. Thence the mold box isvibrated. The molded blocks are completed. The mold box is stripped offthe molded blocks and the pallet with the concrete blocks is pushed outof the machine and at the same time another pallet is pushed into themachine.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an off-bearer orhoist which can handle one or more pallets loaded with the concreteblocks and also lift the empty pallets and drop them on the conveyor.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective showing the concrete block molding machine andthe conveyor.

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the off-bearer or hoist.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional detail of the valve that controls thepneumatic or hydraulic hoist.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the projecting pallet bearingarms, the conveyor showing in dotted lines how the pallets are liftedout of the machine and in full lines how the empty pallet is held abovethe conveyor for dropping.

Fig. 5 is a view partly in section showing the side or upgoing portionof the conveyor.

Fig. 6 shows the rear section of the conveyor and shows in section thepallet magazine.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the hoist and the supporting beam.

1 designates the frame of the concrete block machine. This machine iscapable of performing the operations specified above in the preamble.These need not be shown or described. for molding these concrete blockswith continuously cycling operations is shown in my prior application,Serial No. 2,233, filed January 14, 1948. The conveyor is described andclaimed in the parent application, Serial No. 18,798.

The pallets P shown in Fig. 4 are lifted by the arms 4 of the hoist Hwhich can go in between the arms 2 that project out of the concreteblock molding machine at the front and serve as seats for the twopallets P. Each pallet carries three molded blocks B. The hoist Hcontains a piston and is supplied with fluid through a tube iii leadingto the valve 7 shown in Fig. 3. The trigger bar 9 may be pulled orpushed to operate the crank 50, which is connected by the shaft 51 withvalve 7 so that the passageway 52 can be caused to connect with the tube40 and the tube 41, thereby putting the fluid pressure in the cylinderat the top and causing the cylinder H together with the arms 4 to riseand thereby, when the hoist arms are under the pallets as shown in Fig.4, lifting the pallets and the blocks B ofi the rolls on the arms 2projecting from the machine. The piston 10 is carried on a piston rod 11which is supported by a carriage 12 (see Fig. 7) which rides on thetracks 14 on the long beam 15 which is hinged at 16 on the bracket 17.Inasmuch as the beam 15 may be swung through a large arc and inasmuch asthe carriage 12 can travel on the tracks 14 on the beam, the hoist hasquite a large operating area.

The loaded pallets are taken by the hoist and the pallets are put on theangle iron ledges 26 of the curing rack R. A rack, with empty pallets,is shown at the left in One of these racks is loaded with palletsbearing blocks and will then be moved to a place where the pallets willbe allowed to cure and dry. After the loaded pallets are put in thecuring rack, the off-bearer then is taken to a rack which has emptypallets and the forks or arms are pushed into the rack and dropped downon two pallets as shown in Fig. 1. The operator then pushes switchbutton 27 and this turns on the current which, through the wiring 18 onthe arms 4 electromagnetizes the arms. The arms can now lift the palletsfrom the racks and convey them to the position shown in the full linesof Fig. 4 where they are dropped on the rollers 19. Then they are pickedup by the chain conveyors 2i and the chains 21. The hoist is guided andcaused to operate by the operator using the handles 53 and 54. The twochains 34 and drops onto the rear conveyor chains 35. Thence the palletsare forced under the roller 37 and into an opening in the magazine 36.There they build up the stack 33 and the lowermost pallets are shovedinto the machine by a pusher which is shown in application Serial No.2,233, but which need not be here described. The machine can go througha complete cycle in approximately ten seconds and produce a pallet withthree blocks. When two pallets are pushed out on the arms 2 as shown inFig. 1, they may be picked up by the off-bearer and conveyed to a curingrack. There they are deposited on the ledges and the hoist goes over toanother curing rack filled with empty pallets and the pallets are pickedup by electromagnetizing the arms and then dropping them on the conveyoras shown in Fig. 4. They then pass up the conveyor shown in Fig. 5 andthence into the magazine as shown in Fig. 6.

Inasmuch as this ofi-bearer handles two pallets at a time, the operatorhas twenty seconds to take the pallets pallets while the machine isgoing cycles.

What I claim is: 1. The method of handling pallets in a concrete or ofan empty pallet in a rack and conveying the pallet back to the machinewhile magnetically gripping the top of the palleeand then releasing thepallet at the machine by, derenergizingnthe.electromagnetic tool...

2. The method of handling pallets in a concrete or cement block formingmachine which comprises the use of an .eleetromagnetic.tool to. liftrtwoloaded pallets out-oi themachineaby putting. the tool underthe-pallets-and physically lifting the loadedpallets, conveying them and5 putting. them into a .rackand then magnetically attaching thettool .tothe top of an empty pallet in a rack and conveyingv thepallet back tothe. machine while magnetically gripping the .top of the. pallet andthen releasing the pallet at themachineby de-energizing theelectromagnetic 4 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1,563,949 Baker Dec. 1, 1925 1,836,690 Talbot Dec. 15,1931 2,553,378 Miller May 15, 1951 2,574,131 Steinbrecher Nov. 6, 1951

